Italian patriot and writer. Born in Genoa, son of a Sardinian admiral in command of the fleet of the House of Savoy (Kingdom of Sardinia), he very young started approaching the nationalistic theories of Giuseppe Mazzini, and in only two years played a major part in the insurrectional movements of the Italian Risorgimento. He is now most remembered as the author of the lyrics of the Italian national anthem, "Il Canto degli Italiani". Died at the age of 22 from an infected wound after a combat against the French in Rome, not far from where he's now resting. Buried originally in the Verano Monumental Cemetery where his cenotaph still stands as a monument to his memory, his remains were transferred at Fascist times onto the Mausoleum of the Garibaldi soldiers on the Gianicolo hilltop. (bio by: F G)